Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform

Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform is an invaluable resource for policymakers, faculty, students, and anyone interested in how decisions made about the education system ultimately affect the quality of education, educational access, and social justice.

In Balancing Change and Tradition in Global Education Reform, Rotberg brings together examples of current education reforms in sixteen countries, written by 'insiders'. This book goes beyond myths and stereotypes and describes the difficult trade-offs countries make as they attempt to implement reforms in the context of societal and global change. In some countries, reforms are a response to major political or economic shifts; in others, they are motivated by large upsurges in immigration and increased student diversity. Irrespective of the reasons for education reform, all countries face decisions about resource allocation, equality of educational opportunity across diverse populations, access to higher education, student testing and tracking, teacher accountability, school choice, and innovation. The essays in this volume reveal: _

Part 1 Foreword
Part 2 Part I: Dramatic Political/Economic Change
Chapter 3 China: Turning the Bad Master into a Good Servant
Chapter 4 Russia: Struggling with the Aftermath
Chapter 5 South Africa: Overcoming Past Injustice
Chapter 6 Chile: Vouchers and Beyond
Chapter 7 Germany: After Reunification
Part 8 Part II: Letting Go
Chapter 9 France: Diverse Populations, Centralized Administration
Chapter 10 Turkey: Innovation and Tradition
Chapter 11 Sweden: A Welfare State in Transition
Chapter 12 Israel: Equity and Competition in the Grip of Centralized Bureaucracy
Chapter 13 Japan: Encouraging Individualism, Maintaining Community Values
Part 14 Part III: Transitions
Chapter 15 Singapore: Schools in the Service of Society
Chapter 16 Canada: A Multicultural Policy
Chapter 17 New Zealand: Empowering Teachers and Children
Chapter 18 England: New Governments, New Policies
Chapter 19 Australia: The Challenges of Poverty, Pedagogy, and Pathways
Chapter 20 United States: America's Orgy of Reform
Part 21 Concluding Thoughts: On Change, Tradition, and Choices